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A bar with large windows and views of the water.
The Panorama Room at the Graduate Hotel on Roosevelt Island.
Noah Fecks/Panorama Room

15 Destination-Worthy Hotel Bars in NYC

Stunning views and hidden cocktail dens make these spots worth a staycation

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The Panorama Room at the Graduate Hotel on Roosevelt Island.
| Noah Fecks/Panorama Room

New York City is home to plenty of hotel bars but only a select few don’t feel like they’ve been plucked from an airport lounge or a cookie cutter chain hotel. At their best, the city’s top hotel drinking spots feel like a getaway — a destination in their own right, sometimes offering sweeping views of the city or enticing people with a historic venue. These establishments offer New Yorkers and tourists a place for post-work drinks, dates, happy hours, or a midnight nightcap.

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Bemelmans Bar at the Carlyle

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In the past year or so, a new generation of customers started beelining to this swanky Upper East Side bar at the Carlyle. The younger crowd here these days can be seen drinking espresso martinis and documenting the historic space on social media. But what hasn’t changed at Bemelmans is the live piano music, eclectic mix of patrons, and the murals by Ludwig Bemelmans. The cocktails and service remain first rate, too.

Murals on the wall at Bemelmans Bar.
Bemelmans Bar at the Carlyle.
Bemelmans Bar

King Cole Bar at the St. Regis New York

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Legend has it that the bloody mary was popularized in America at the St. Regis, when in 1934 a bartender introduced a concoction known as the Red Snapper. It’s the signature drink all these years later at the ultra-high-end King Cole, with its giant mural that makes the establishment a spot for well-heeled regulars, tourists, and cocktail enthusiasts.

The Rum House at Hotel Edison

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Coming across Rum House is like finding a hidden gem in an area not otherwise known for its cocktail scene. Unlike the big national chains dotting the surrounding blocks, the bar is cozy, low-key, and feels timeless. In addition to the extensive rum list, cocktails of all kinds are worth exploring while enjoying the occasional live music.

Panorama Room

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A trendy anything — restaurant, bar, or club — on Roosevelt Island was unheard of until the Graduate Hotel opened here. Its bar, the Panorama Room, is perched on the 18th floor with some of the best views of NYC. Order one of the maritime-themed drinks — the Old Man & the Sea is a potent mix of gin and smoked olives — and linger a bit because after all, it’s a trek on public transit whether arriving by subway, bus, or tram.

A bar view overlooking a waterfront view.
The Panorama Room at the Graduate Hotel on Roosevelt Island.
Noah Fecks/Panorama Room

Blue Bar at the Algonquin Hotel

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The Algonquin’s historic bar is as much a museum as it is a drinking spot. The hotel was the site of lunches and many rounds of drinks for the literary Algonquin Round Table, which included Dorothy Parker. Now the Blue Bar is awash in blue lighting that makes for a neat refuge from Times Square while nursing a martini with top-shelf gin.

Bar shelves are lit up with blue light.
Blue Bar is located inside of the Algonquin Hotel.
Blue Bar

The Raines Law Room at The William

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When the beloved Chelsea speakeasy Raines Law Room is too crowded, consider its second location in Midtown’s William hotel. Mixology veteran Meaghan Dorman once again oversees the bar, which mixes up inventive cocktails like make-your-own old fashioneds and the Violet Valley (which mixes aged rum with Peruvian spiced tea). With an interior that seems modeled after an ornate Victorian living room, it’s a spot that’s conducive to sipping a cocktail or two.

The Fleur Room at the Moxy Chelsea

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Ordering a Manhattan or a beer at the Fleur Room, a lounge on the 35th floor of the Moxy Chelsea, comes with 360-degree views of the NYC skyline with the Statue of Liberty on one side and the Empire State Building on the other. On warmer days, the glass windows retract for an al fresco experience — and unobstructed views of the vintage disco ball.

A bar view with a green-blue coach, small round wooden tables, hanging lights, and large windows.
The bar at the Fleur Room.
Tao Group Hospitality

The Lobby Bar at the Ace Hotel New York

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The people-watching alone makes the Ace Hotel’s Lobby Bar worth a visit. The roomy, versatile space serves as a bustling office for many creative types and freelancers during the day. As evening rolls around, an afterwork crowd shows up and sometimes the space can feel like a nightclub later on in the night with DJs. In addition to cocktails and surprisingly affordable beer, there’s a Stumptown coffee just off the lobby. It’s easy to imagine spending an entire evening on one of the cozy couches or chairs.

A view of a bar with leather couches, bar stools, and a large American flag.
The Lobby Bar at the Ace Hotel New York.
Stephen Kent Johnson

The Standard Biergarten at the Standard

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Tucked underneath the High Line, the ground-floor beer garden is often packed with day drinkers guzzling German brews and chowing down on snacks such as sausages and giant pretzels with mustard. Line up for a game of ping pong or foosball. The space is mercifully heated during colder months.

The Standard Biergarten features crowded ping pong tables.
The Standard Biergarten.
Markus Marty/The Standard

The Marlton Hotel

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The Marlton’s cocktail bar is a quiet, understated affair tucked away in the hotel’s lobby between the check-in desk and its French-Mediterranean cafe, Margaux. The bar menu includes various well-crafted cocktails, like the smooth Greenwich Gold (bourbon, honey, lemon, allspice dram), and mastered classics like the old fashioned. In winter time, the lobby fireplace roars and seats surrounding it are in high demand.

The Lobby Bar at the Bowery Hotel

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The lack of a real name for the Bowery Hotel’s bar doesn’t speak to the fact that it’s a popular downtown hangout (and a celebrity sighting spot, too). Ornate rugs cover nearly every inch of the floor, chairs have gargoyles carved on their backs, and a generous outdoor patio hosts daytime meetings and romantic dates complete with proper cocktails. Space is prioritized for hotel guests, but the public can get in easier at less-busy hours.

Bar Chrystie

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The sleek Public hotel — exhibit A: the glowing escalators are perfect Instagram bait — goes for a more nostalgic vibe with Bar Chyrstie. The velvet emerald green chairs and shimmering chandeliers take a page from iconic bars like Bar Hemingway at the Hôtel Ritz Paris and Harry’s Bar in Venice. For cocktails, classics like martinis and old fashioneds get an updated touch with dramatic flair like smoky ice cubes and ornate glassware.

Three cocktails, some with smoke, on a dark wooden table next to a blue velvet booth.
Cocktails at Bar Chrystie.
Liz Clayman/Bar Chrystie

Westlight at the William Vale

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Situated on the 22nd floor of the William Vale, Westlight manages to outdo many surrounding rooftops with a sweeping city view from a wraparound terrace. From Andrew Carmellini’s NoHo Hospitality, Westlight’s modern design touches and thoughtfully executed food and drinks put it far above the standard rooftop lounge. Stick to classic cocktails rather than overpriced original concoctions.

A rooftop bar with yellow couches shows off city views.
Westlight is one of Williamsburg’s best bars with views.
Daniel Krieger

Bar Blondeau at the Wythe Hotel

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The cocktails and rooftop views from the Wythe Hotel at Bar Blondeau would stand out against any hotel bar in NYC. But it’s the food (from the team behind the well-reviewed, French-leaning Le Crocodile downstairs) that sets this establishment apart. Eater critic Ryan Sutton enjoyed his cocktails, but it was dishes like the smoky tuna confit and saffron rice that stood out above the typical bar bites menu at most places.

A dining room with green leather booths and tables.
Bar Blondeau at the Wythe Hotel.
Liz Clayman/Bar Blondeau

The Bar Room at the Beekman

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The Beekman’s Bar Room all the way down in the Financial District is a drinking oasis with little competition. Part of the hotel’s Tom Colicchio-run restaurant Temple Court, the bar is located at the bottom of a nine-story, Victorian-style atrium that stops first-time visitors in their tracks. Classic cocktails pair perfectly with the literary, vintage decor.

The Beekman Bar Room shows orange chairs and a portrait painting.
The Beekman Bar Room.
The Beekman

Bemelmans Bar at the Carlyle

In the past year or so, a new generation of customers started beelining to this swanky Upper East Side bar at the Carlyle. The younger crowd here these days can be seen drinking espresso martinis and documenting the historic space on social media. But what hasn’t changed at Bemelmans is the live piano music, eclectic mix of patrons, and the murals by Ludwig Bemelmans. The cocktails and service remain first rate, too.

Murals on the wall at Bemelmans Bar.
Bemelmans Bar at the Carlyle.
Bemelmans Bar

King Cole Bar at the St. Regis New York

Legend has it that the bloody mary was popularized in America at the St. Regis, when in 1934 a bartender introduced a concoction known as the Red Snapper. It’s the signature drink all these years later at the ultra-high-end King Cole, with its giant mural that makes the establishment a spot for well-heeled regulars, tourists, and cocktail enthusiasts.

The Rum House at Hotel Edison

Coming across Rum House is like finding a hidden gem in an area not otherwise known for its cocktail scene. Unlike the big national chains dotting the surrounding blocks, the bar is cozy, low-key, and feels timeless. In addition to the extensive rum list, cocktails of all kinds are worth exploring while enjoying the occasional live music.

Panorama Room

A trendy anything — restaurant, bar, or club — on Roosevelt Island was unheard of until the Graduate Hotel opened here. Its bar, the Panorama Room, is perched on the 18th floor with some of the best views of NYC. Order one of the maritime-themed drinks — the Old Man & the Sea is a potent mix of gin and smoked olives — and linger a bit because after all, it’s a trek on public transit whether arriving by subway, bus, or tram.

A bar view overlooking a waterfront view.
The Panorama Room at the Graduate Hotel on Roosevelt Island.
Noah Fecks/Panorama Room

Blue Bar at the Algonquin Hotel

The Algonquin’s historic bar is as much a museum as it is a drinking spot. The hotel was the site of lunches and many rounds of drinks for the literary Algonquin Round Table, which included Dorothy Parker. Now the Blue Bar is awash in blue lighting that makes for a neat refuge from Times Square while nursing a martini with top-shelf gin.

Bar shelves are lit up with blue light.
Blue Bar is located inside of the Algonquin Hotel.
Blue Bar

The Raines Law Room at The William

When the beloved Chelsea speakeasy Raines Law Room is too crowded, consider its second location in Midtown’s William hotel. Mixology veteran Meaghan Dorman once again oversees the bar, which mixes up inventive cocktails like make-your-own old fashioneds and the Violet Valley (which mixes aged rum with Peruvian spiced tea). With an interior that seems modeled after an ornate Victorian living room, it’s a spot that’s conducive to sipping a cocktail or two.

The Fleur Room at the Moxy Chelsea

Ordering a Manhattan or a beer at the Fleur Room, a lounge on the 35th floor of the Moxy Chelsea, comes with 360-degree views of the NYC skyline with the Statue of Liberty on one side and the Empire State Building on the other. On warmer days, the glass windows retract for an al fresco experience — and unobstructed views of the vintage disco ball.

A bar view with a green-blue coach, small round wooden tables, hanging lights, and large windows.
The bar at the Fleur Room.
Tao Group Hospitality

The Lobby Bar at the Ace Hotel New York

The people-watching alone makes the Ace Hotel’s Lobby Bar worth a visit. The roomy, versatile space serves as a bustling office for many creative types and freelancers during the day. As evening rolls around, an afterwork crowd shows up and sometimes the space can feel like a nightclub later on in the night with DJs. In addition to cocktails and surprisingly affordable beer, there’s a Stumptown coffee just off the lobby. It’s easy to imagine spending an entire evening on one of the cozy couches or chairs.

A view of a bar with leather couches, bar stools, and a large American flag.
The Lobby Bar at the Ace Hotel New York.
Stephen Kent Johnson

The Standard Biergarten at the Standard

Tucked underneath the High Line, the ground-floor beer garden is often packed with day drinkers guzzling German brews and chowing down on snacks such as sausages and giant pretzels with mustard. Line up for a game of ping pong or foosball. The space is mercifully heated during colder months.

The Standard Biergarten features crowded ping pong tables.
The Standard Biergarten.
Markus Marty/The Standard

The Marlton Hotel

The Marlton’s cocktail bar is a quiet, understated affair tucked away in the hotel’s lobby between the check-in desk and its French-Mediterranean cafe, Margaux. The bar menu includes various well-crafted cocktails, like the smooth Greenwich Gold (bourbon, honey, lemon, allspice dram), and mastered classics like the old fashioned. In winter time, the lobby fireplace roars and seats surrounding it are in high demand.

The Lobby Bar at the Bowery Hotel

The lack of a real name for the Bowery Hotel’s bar doesn’t speak to the fact that it’s a popular downtown hangout (and a celebrity sighting spot, too). Ornate rugs cover nearly every inch of the floor, chairs have gargoyles carved on their backs, and a generous outdoor patio hosts daytime meetings and romantic dates complete with proper cocktails. Space is prioritized for hotel guests, but the public can get in easier at less-busy hours.

Bar Chrystie

The sleek Public hotel — exhibit A: the glowing escalators are perfect Instagram bait — goes for a more nostalgic vibe with Bar Chyrstie. The velvet emerald green chairs and shimmering chandeliers take a page from iconic bars like Bar Hemingway at the Hôtel Ritz Paris and Harry’s Bar in Venice. For cocktails, classics like martinis and old fashioneds get an updated touch with dramatic flair like smoky ice cubes and ornate glassware.

Three cocktails, some with smoke, on a dark wooden table next to a blue velvet booth.
Cocktails at Bar Chrystie.
Liz Clayman/Bar Chrystie

Westlight at the William Vale

Situated on the 22nd floor of the William Vale, Westlight manages to outdo many surrounding rooftops with a sweeping city view from a wraparound terrace. From Andrew Carmellini’s NoHo Hospitality, Westlight’s modern design touches and thoughtfully executed food and drinks put it far above the standard rooftop lounge. Stick to classic cocktails rather than overpriced original concoctions.

A rooftop bar with yellow couches shows off city views.
Westlight is one of Williamsburg’s best bars with views.
Daniel Krieger

Bar Blondeau at the Wythe Hotel

The cocktails and rooftop views from the Wythe Hotel at Bar Blondeau would stand out against any hotel bar in NYC. But it’s the food (from the team behind the well-reviewed, French-leaning Le Crocodile downstairs) that sets this establishment apart. Eater critic Ryan Sutton enjoyed his cocktails, but it was dishes like the smoky tuna confit and saffron rice that stood out above the typical bar bites menu at most places.

A dining room with green leather booths and tables.
Bar Blondeau at the Wythe Hotel.
Liz Clayman/Bar Blondeau

The Bar Room at the Beekman

The Beekman’s Bar Room all the way down in the Financial District is a drinking oasis with little competition. Part of the hotel’s Tom Colicchio-run restaurant Temple Court, the bar is located at the bottom of a nine-story, Victorian-style atrium that stops first-time visitors in their tracks. Classic cocktails pair perfectly with the literary, vintage decor.

The Beekman Bar Room shows orange chairs and a portrait painting.
The Beekman Bar Room.
The Beekman

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